Sierra Leone's former Vice President Solomon Berewa has died
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 5 March 2020:
Mr Solomon Berewa – the former Vice President and Attorney General of Sierra Leone, serving the SLPP Tejan Kabbah government after the 2002 elections, passed away today at the Choithram Hospital in the country's capital Freetown, aged 81.
Solomon Berewa contested presidential election in 2007, but lost to the younger Ernest Bai Koroma of the APC party.
As messages of condolence and tribute pour in tonight, a statement published by the SLPP party reads:
"A giant of peace and stability has fallen. An oasis of democracy has breathed his last. A doyen of justice and rule of law has forever gone. It is with heavy hearts and streaming tears, that we, the Sierra Leone People's Party announce the passing away of the former Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Mr. Solomon Ekuma Dominic Berewa.
"The former Vice President passed away peacefully this evening at the Choithram Memorial Hospital after being moved there for medical attention.
"Mr. Solomon Berewa served the country diligently and etched his name in its annals, as one of the best legal luminaries ever in the history of this country.
"His public life gained prominence when he was appointed Attorney General and Minister of Justice in 1996, by the late President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. He executed his duties as AGMOJ with aplomb and was later catapulted to the Vice Presidency of the country.
"Mr. Solomon Berewa contested for the presidency of the country under the SLPP umbrella in 2007, and lost in controversial circumstances but accepted the outcome of the elections and appealed for calm amongst his supporters, stressing that Sierra Leone was bigger than any individual's ambitions.
"He would be remembered for his role in brokering the peace which the country now enjoys, during the Lome Peace Talks of 1999. As a mark of respect for this elderly statesman, we are calling on our members to wear black for the next one week, whilst the party engages the family and government on his funeral. Rest in peace Mr. Solomon Ekuma Dominic Berewa!
"Signed: Umaru Napoleon Koroma, Secretary General." (END)
A tribute by Ibrahim Kallon reads: "The end of an era. We have had disciplined politicians, those whose respect for the rule of law cannot be tampered with, but Solo B has distinguished himself as a legal and political figure.
"His respect for the rule of law, maintaining of peace and the love for his country, supersede his political ambitions even when rogues try to take up the mantle of leadership in the highest office of the land.
"In the sands of time, we cannot forget his role in maintaining the country's democratic dispensation. History will place Berewa in the corners of fame, honour and respect for generations yet unborn – to learn about his years of distinguished service to the nation, that which will remain an enduring legacy for all.
"Indeed, a hero has fallen, but we pray he's well received, for he's a true son of the soil. And may he and all other faithfully departed souls rest in peace."
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